Cables carry your hand and foot movement to the clutch, throttle, choke and drum brakes. Dry cables become heavy, return slowly and break where the inner wire rubs. Oil them, and grease both pivot ends, at each chassis service. The K-Light 125 schedule lists lubrication of chassis parts at 6000 and 12000 km.
Safety
- Brake and throttle cables are safety parts. After any cable work, check the brake stops the wheel and the throttle snaps shut before riding.
- Some modern cables have a plastic lining and the maker says not to oil them. Check before you oil.
You need
- A cable luber (clamps on the cable end and lets you spray oil in), or a small plastic bag taped round the cable end as a funnel.
- Cable oil (light oil), light grease, rag.
Steps
- Work on one cable at a time so routing does not change.
- Slacken the adjuster at the lever end fully. Line up the slots in the adjuster and the lever bracket, and lift the cable out. Unhook the nipple from the lever.
- Look at the inner cable where it leaves the outer, especially next to the nipple. Broken strands or a kink: stop and replace the cable (for example Replace the clutch cable).
- Fit the luber or bag on the top end of the outer cable.
- Feed oil in until it comes out at the bottom. Hold a rag there. Pull the inner in and out to spread the oil.
- Grease the nipple and the hole it sits in at the lever, and the lever pivot bolt (Service brake and clutch lever pivots).
- Grease the lower end where it joins the clutch arm, brake arm, carburettor or choke plunger.
- Refit the cable and set free play: throttle, clutch, drum brake, choke.
- Turn the bars to full left, full right and centre, working each control. Nothing should bind or change free play.
Check your work
- Each lever moves smoothly and returns fully.
- Free play is correct on each cable.
- Mechanical speedo cables use light grease on the inner, not oil, and keep grease away from the top end so it does not reach the instrument (Replace the speedometer cable).
If it did not fix the problem
- Still stiff after oiling: the outer is damaged or the route has a tight bend. See A control cable is frayed or stiff.
- Clutch still heavy: Clutch lever is very heavy to pull.